Ransomware Strikes Back as Global Attacks Rise in 2025

Key Takeaways

• 24% of organizations reported a ransomware attack this year, up from 18.6% in 2024. The rise is fueled by AI-powered automation and sophisticated phishing techniques.
• Phishing is the leading attack vector in 2025, with 46% of organizations reporting phishing as the cause of a ransomware attack. Other attack vectors include stolen credentials, compromised endpoints, and exploited vulnerabilities.
• Organizations have become more resilient against ransomware, with 62% utilizing immutable backups and 82% having disaster recovery plans in place by 2025. As a result, only 13% paid ransoms, down from 16.3% in 2024. Yet, organizations require more user training and the adoption of ransomware insurance.
• Effective ransomware protection strategies include regular data backups, employee phishing awareness training, multi-factor authentication, timely software updates, and endpoint security solutions.

Artificial intelligence has enabled hackers to create more sophisticated phishing campaigns and circumvent traditional defenses. It's no surprise that ransomware attacks are increasing now, after several years of decline.

According to Hornetsecurity's Ransomware Impact Report, 24% of surveyed organizations have reported ransomware attacks in 2025, compared to 18.6% in 2024. This marks the end of a multi-year decline.

We examined the report more closely to understand why ransomware attacks are increasing, identify the most common attack methods, and explore how you can better prepare to fight this growing threat.

Ransomware Attacks Are Rising

Each year, Hornetsecurity conducts an in-depth global survey to uncover key trends, patterns, and insights into the shifting dynamics of ransomware attacks.

Between 2022 and 2024, the number of ransomware incidents followed a steady downward trajectory.

To begin with, in 2022, Hornetsecurity's ransomware trends noted that 24% of surveyed organizations faced a ransomware attack.

A year later, the Hornetsecurity survey reported that 19.7% of organizations faced a ransomware attack in 2023.

The downward trend in ransomware attacks continued in 2024, with the number of attacks decreasing further to 18.6%.

However, this declining trend reversed sharply in 2025. The Hornetsecurity Ransomware Impact Report revealed that 24% of surveyed organizations experienced a ransomware attack, signaling the resurgence of one of the most disruptive cyber threats.

What caused the growth of ransomware attacks in 2025?

Essentially, it comes down to AI-driven automation, which helps attackers scale and refine their operations.

Hornetsecurity reports:

This renewed rise is closely tied to attackers adopting more sophisticated automation and AI-enhanced methods, enabling them to scale their operations while maintaining precision. Sophistication continues to increase, particularly in terms of how attackers identify and exploit vulnerabilities in hybrid IT environments.

Shifting Attack Vectors

Phishing has long been a primary attack method for ransomware. An attack vector is a route or way that threat actors use to access a system

In phishing attacks, threat actors trick users into clicking on malicious links or attachments. Once opened, the ransomware installs silently in the background, running unnoticed.

Notably, email-based phishing attacks made up 46% of ransomware attacks in 2025, down from 52.3% in 2024. The data clearly shows that phishing, though still the top access vector, is losing dominance in 2025.

Other attack vectors for 2025 ransomware attacks include compromised endpoints, stolen credentials, and exploited vulnerabilities.

If you're curious about how attack vectors changed from 2024 to 2025, here's a quick comparison chart.

With the rise of ransomware attacks, a question arises: Are businesses prepared to defend themselves? Let's find out next.

Resilience Fights Back

While ransomware attacks are on the rise in 2025, it's worth noting that many organizations are stepping up their defenses.

In fact, 62% of organizations have implemented immutable backups, which means their backups cannot be encrypted or modified in the event of a ransomware attack.

Furthermore, 82% of surveyed organizations now have a disaster recovery plan in place, which helps them restore data and systems after an attack.

Thanks to these measures, companies can now navigate a ransomware attack successfully, despite an increase in the number of attacks. Only 13% of surveyed organizations resorted to paying a ransom, compared to 16.3% in 2024.

This steady decline is a clear sign that organizations are now more resilient and better equipped to handle ransomware incidents without paying ransoms.

However, despite growing resilience, ransomware remains a serious threat.

Ransomware Remains the Relentless Foe

Though organizations are showing resilience, a few findings from the latest Hornetsecurity report are worrisome. At the forefront of these concerns is user training.

Since phishing remains a leading cause of ransomware attacks, training users to spot malicious links and attachments greatly improves their ability to defend against such threats.

However, there has been a decline in user training. In 2025, 74% of organizations implemented user training, compared to 81.3% in 2024. This decline in user training increases overall risk.

Another concern is ransomware insurance adoption. It's well established that ransomware insurance helps companies recover faster and reduce financial losses. Yet, 46% of organizations have opted for ransomware insurance in 2025, down from 54.6% in 2024.

These gaps in training and preparedness underscore the importance of taking proactive steps to mitigate the ransomware threat.

Shielding Your Business from Ransomware Threats

A ransomware attack not only causes financial loss but also reputational damage. It erodes customer trust and confidence in an affected organization's security practices.

Here are some tips to strengthen your defense against the growing ransomware threat:

• Back up your data both online and offline to ensure you can recover lost files in the event of a ransomware attack.
• Train your users on cybersecurity best practices so they can identify phishing attacks designed to install ransomware.
• Keep your software up to date to prevent threat actors from exploiting vulnerabilities.
• Enforce multi-factor authentication to prevent hackers from accessing your systems, even if they obtain login credentials through unauthorized means.
• Install endpoint security solutions to detect and block suspicious activities.

Additionally, consider obtaining ransomware insurance to minimize financial losses.

Ransomware may be relentless, but with proper preparation, its impact can be contained effectively.

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